Tied some Chernobyl ants last night. Anybody have success with them at all? I don't usually have much luck with terrestrials but im hoping to change that. Also tied some caddis, pt nymphs, and some ants. Hope I can get out for some trout soon.

I use ants, hoppers, crickets and beetles for a good portion of the summer with very good success in my opinion. The trick I have found is to keep the casts close to the bank. If they refuse your fly try to make your terrestrial but the water a little bit harder. Seems to entice a strike at times.

While preparing for a trip to the green river in utah, I read about chernobyl ants being a hot fly there. So, I tied some on #10 long shank hooks. And did pretty well on them. That was 10 - 15 years ago now, and I really haven't tried them anywhere else. Although, I have read - and heard - reports from others about having some success with them here in PA.Should be worth a try I guess

I fish ants and other really small or hard to see dries as a dropper as well. I like to fish them about 15-20" behind a big visible dry like a hopper or high profile hackled fly like a wulff style or elk hair caddis.

Every now and then when the fish are not hitting the norms , sometimes a big Chernobyl ant is just the trick to entice a strike. I think it's all about location when fishing terretrials, look ahead for the large branch overhanging the stream, plop a Crowe Beetle or Ant under (closer to the bank) ,bridges are also good locations.

Posted on: 2014/7/12 21:51

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"Ours is the grandest sport. It is an intriguing battle of wits between an angler and a trout; and in addition to appreciating the tradition and grace of the game, we play it in the magnificent out-of-doors."~ Ernest G. Schwiebert, Jr.

While I don't use the exact Chernobyl Ant pattern, I do fish a lot of foam hoppers and crickets with considerable success. This fly, based on it's size, is really more analogous to a cricket rather than an ant.